nawi 2014: open badges for workforce development: findings from the dpd project

Digital Badges in the Workforce

NAWI Annual Conference22 May 2014

Design Principles Documentation Project

Digital Badges in the Workforce

Nate OttoProject Coordinator

Design Principles Documentation ProjectIndiana University

Thanks to:

Quick poll: How familiar are you with digital badges?

1.I am hearing about them for the first time

2.I know about badges and want to learn more.

3.I have earned some digital badges.

4.I have built a badge system and issued badges.

Web Navigator Badge

- Hackasaurus

“Digital Badges are web-enabled

credentials of learning or

accomplishment."

Prof. Dan Hickey, Design Principles Documentation Project

Presentation Outline

• The Design Principles Documentation Project

• What are digital badges?

• How can badges be used to support the workforce?

• Case studies: YALSA, the Manufacturing Institute

Design Principles Documentation

Project

Design Principles Documentation Project

Rebecca

Itow

Andi

RehakKaterina

SchenkeCathy

Tran

Nate

OttoChristine

Chow

Daniel Hickey

Principal Investigator

Design Principles Documentation Project

Goal: To find out how

organizations are using digital

badges in learning programs.

Design Principles Documentation Project

Four functions of digital badge systems

• Recognizing Learning

• Assessing Learning

• Motivating Learning

• Studying Learning

Pulling apart different functions of badge systems.

Intended Practice

Enacted Practice

Formal Practice

Evolution of a Practice

Original design

As first implemented

Continuing practice

WHAT ARE OPEN BADGES?

“A badge is an image…

with stuff in it.”

Sheryl Grant, HASTAC

Badges are symbolic representations of skills and accomplishments.

How does this…

Web Navigator Badge

- Hackasaurus

Mean this…?

“Nate Otto can operate a Web

browser with celerity.”

Metadata!

CC-BY-SA Kyle Bowen

Open Badges can contain:

• Specific claims about learning or accomplishment

• Links to supporting evidence

“A digital badge is an online

representation of a skill you’ve

earned… [that] allows you to verify

your skills, interests and

achievements through credible

organizations.”

Mozilla Foundation - About Open Badges

How are we all doing so far?

elwino (cc-by-nc-sa)

Once you’ve earned badges, where do they go?

The Open Badges Backpack

Collect, Organize and Share

Collect, Organize and Share

Collect, Organize and Share

Collect, Organize and Share

• Applying for jobs

• Professional development

• Performance reviews

• . . .

BUILDING BADGE SYSTEMS

How to use badges:

Design Principles Documentation Project

Four functions of digital badge systems

• Recognizing Learning

• Assessing Learning

• Motivating Learning

• Studying Learning

For each of these categories, we identified general design principles.

Level badges

Provide routes or pathways

1 General Principle 2 Specific Principles 18 practicesacross 30 projects

(As implemented in project contexts)

“Levels of Participation and

Achievement” -Intel

“Hierarchical Quest Paths” –NOAA Planet Stewards

Sort Identified Practices

Draft Initial Principles

Formalize General Principles

Bookmark Research

Emergence of Badge Design Principles

General and Specific Principles: Recognizing Learning

•Align badges to standards (23)

–Use standards internal to community (3)

–Use national or international standards (12)

–Use community and national/international standards (8)

•Use badges to map learning trajectory (18)

–Level badges (11)

–Provide routes or pathways (7)

•Have experts issue badges (15)

–Credentialed via external accredited entity (8)

–Credentialed via community (2)

–Credentialed via accredited entity and community (5)

• Seek external backing (15)– Externally endorsed (8)

– Externally valued (7)

• Recognize diverse learning (10)• Use badges as a means of external

communication of learning (11)• Determine lifespan of badges (7)

– Never expires (7)

– Requires renewal or upgrading (0)

• Recognize educator learning (7)• Award formal academic credit for

badges (3)• Promote discovery (7)

– Discover learning opportunities (5*)

– Discover learners (2*)

Tracking principles across 3 phases

Intended – Enacted – Formal

BADGES IN THE WORKFORCE

Stackable skill credentials:

How are badges being used in workforce-related projects?

YALSA

Badges to recognize librarians’ skills

2012-present

• YALSA won a grant to develop a badge system through the Digital Media & Learning Competition

• Launched spring 2014

Case Study now available

http://dpdproject.info/details/yalsa/

YALSA issues badges to recognize professional competencies

Communication, Outreach and Marketing badge

The badge system will enable

librarians and library workers to “gain

recognition for the new

competencies, capacities and

skills they are developing in a

nontraditional setting”

YALSA grant proposal to the DML Competition

YALSA Competencies for Librarians Serving Youth

1. Leadership and Professionalism

2. Communication, Outreach and Marketing

3. Knowledge of Client Group

4. Administration

5. Knowledge of Materials

6. Access to Information

7. Services

“The competencies outline the skills

and knowledge teen services

librarians need to have in order to

provide excellent service to this

unique age group.”

YALSA grant proposal to the DML Competition

YALSA Competencies for Librarians Serving Youth

1. Leadership and Professionalism

2. Communication, Outreach and Marketing

3. Knowledge of Client Group

4. Administration

5. Knowledge of Materials

6. Access to Information

7. Services

YALSA Competencies for Librarians Serving Youth

1. Leadership and Professionalism

2. Communication, Outreach and Marketing

3. Knowledge of Client Group

4. Administration

5. Knowledge of Materials

6. Access to Information

7. Services

Communicator Badge Outcomes

• Effectively use social media and mobile technologies

in order to advocate for the age group

• Effectively use social media and mobile technologies

to inform teens about what a library has to offer

• Understand how to select the best technology tool in

order to successfully get a message out to a specific

audience and for a specific purpose.

• Use a variety of tools to identify the needs and

interests of underserved teens

What will YALSA badge earners do with their badges?

Who will they show?

“Badge earners can be

innovative in how they use the

badges:"

Sarah Flowers, YALSA President 2011-12

"...in virtual resumes or

portfolios..."

Sarah Flowers, YALSA President 2011-12

"...in their yearly employee

evaluation or goal-setting

process..."

Sarah Flowers, YALSA President 2011-12

"...on web pages or blogs..."

Sarah Flowers, YALSA President 2011-12

"...or in some other way that

showcases the work they’ve

done.”

Sarah Flowers, YALSA President 2011-12

What are some benefits of using badges?

How do they relate to workforce competencies?

Badges let you recognize skills learned outside of your formal schooling.

Badges let you recognize micro-level skills and achievements.

Badges let learners show off each achievement in the right context.

NATIONAL ASSOCIATION OF MANUFACTURERS

Badges to recognize skills for manufacturing

[M-badges] will recognize the critical

skills that are learned in settings

other than educational institutions but

are highly sought by manufacturers.

National Association of Manufacturers

Employers post job opportunities and connect with badge earners.

We work for manufacturers.

Brent Weil, The Manufacturing Institute

Working with high school students who may be involved in STEM, but don’t think manufacturing is very glamorous.

Assessing soft skills needed by employers

Protecting Validity

• Didn’t want to give out 100k badges without much meaning behind them.

• Balance the need to protect the badges’ validity with a desire for a good pace of adoption.

Where and how do badges fit in the workplace?

(cc-by-sa Hugo Chisholm)

Badges let you recognize skills learned outside of your formal schooling.

Badges let you recognize micro-level skills and achievements.

Badges let learners show off each achievement in the right context.

Some discussion questions…

What important skills do workers learn on the job at your workplace or institution?

YALSA: Library SkillsWhat could you claim about the librarian who put together this display?

Newton Free Library (cc-by-nc-nd)

Manufacturing:Where can young people learn skills specific to an industry or sector?

Newton Free Library (cc-by-nc-nd)(cc-by-nd BISGOVUK)

Can you represent employees as a collection of their competencies?

RESOURCES

Hungry for more?

Weekly conference calls

Active discussion community

Technical Documentation

Visual design tools

Lightweight issuing platforms

Someone to ask questions

Someone to ask questions

Design Principles Documentation Project

Out Now: January Interim Report

http://iudpd.indiana.edu/JanuaryReport

Design Principles Documentation Project

Out Now: Design Principles Card Deck

http://iudpd.indiana.edu/CardDeck

Design Principles Documentation Project

New: DPD Project Website

http://dpdproject.info

Any more questions?

Thomas Hawk (cc-by-nc)

Thank you for coming!

Nate OttoProject Coordinator

Design Principles Documentation ProjectIndiana University

@ottonomy